Snowcat Snowboarding and Prayers

MLK was a great weekend! I coached my niece in a tournament in Eugene and was able to snowboard for two days at Timberline! My good friend Steve took me and my friend Dorianna up to the mountain early Sunday morning. I haven't boarded since my one time in city park so I was a bit nervous about it. But, it turned out to be a lot of fun! I only fell a few times but I had one bad fall that made me think...hmmm, butt pads will be my my next investment! Dorianna didn't have as much success as I did. She ended up falling HARD on her tailbone and was done for the weekend. Poor Dorianna! I will spare you her picture in the ski patrol since it's her 2nd in two years! That's a whole other story.

While Dorianna was resting at the cabin on Monday, Steve and I made a trek up on the snow cat all the way to the top of Palmer (the actual lift wasn't going because it was too windy). I snapped this picture from the top of the mountain. To the left is where the groomed trail started. It was a bit scary at first (there were large chunks of blue ice everywhere!) but once I got started it was a really fun ride! This is how close we were to the summit of Mt. Hood. The only way to snowboard up there is to take a helicopter. Not really on my agenda (the snow cat was nerve racking enough!) but it would be fun to watch someone do that! The day was gorgeous and surprisingly warm. There was some inverse weather happening that day and it was 50 degrees on the mountain. The snow had a sugary texture to it.

Another view of the top from inside the snow cat. Very bumpy ride!

My friend, Steve, and I inside the snow cat. It was nice to be inside the cab. We had to wait about 45 minutes to take the ride so we were a little chilly so the nice warm cab was great.

It was a fun weekend but I definetly paid the price because by that afternoon I could tell I was getting sick. Sure enough Tuesday morning I was down for the count, one prescription and two sub days later I am feeling much better. It was all worth it though!

On another note a good friend of mine, Devon Johnson has a prayer request. Please read her latest blog entry and keep her friend Mandie in your prayers.